12.06.2026.
Dubrovnik, 11 June 2026 - Representative of the Environmental Protection and Energy Efficiency Fund Hrvojka Petrović participated in the panel held as part of the Future Adriatic Experience event in Dubrovnik. The event was organised by the Krie x Provir initiative - a project thanks to which more than 120 tons of discarded fishing nets have been removed from the Adriatic Sea to date and which promotes a more responsible attitude towards the sea through education, design and concrete environmental actions.The panel discussion included the following panellists: representatives of Interzer and the Italian Aquafil, the head of the Fund’s Director’s Office, Hrvojka Petrović, who pointed out that the Adriatic was not only a natural resource or part of Croatia’s cultural identity, but a joint responsibility of all stakeholders - institutions, the economy, the scientific community and citizens, because marine litter was not generated in the sea, but on land. That is why the Fund supports projects that improve the waste management system, increase the rate of separate collection and recycling, and strengthen the circular economy. The importance of educational campaigns aimed at children and young people was especially underlined, because the majority of long-term changes are achieved by forming habits early on.
The fund is also developing a system that would turn fishing vessels and ports into starting points for the proper collection and disposal of waste fishing gear, aimed at ensuring that the nets do not end up at the bottom of the sea, instead giving them a new lease of life by recycling. "When waste gains value, the way we look at it changes - and then the whole system changes," it was pointed out in the discussion.
When asked what the biggest obstacle to sustainable growth was, Petrović replied it was not technology, regulation nor market conditions, but the prevailing way of thinking. That is why the Fund helps citizens, entrepreneurs and the public sector to move from an idea to concrete implementation through the schemes of co-financing energy renovation, renewable energy sources, waste management and climate change adaptation projects.
As part of the programme, professional divers pulled out discarded fishing nets from the Dubrovnik seabed thus graphically presenting the problem of the so-called "ghost nets" that remain on the seabed for years and endanger the marine ecosystem. For the first time, sustainable furniture was also presented - Krie x Altera designer armchairs, made of recycled wood, with upholstery made of recycled textile fibres produced by the Humana Nova social cooperative, and fabrics made of Econyl® regenerated fibre obtained from the processing of these fishing nets. These are concrete examples of the circular economy in action, which especially delighted the international guests of the E1 Dubrovnik GP.
Part of the programme was dedicated to children and the young who, through the Marina Future Lab, participated in workshops on mending fishing nets and making items from Econyl® fibre, and the event was also attended by the users of the Maslina Children's Home and students of the Marin Držić Elementary School. "The Adriatic is not just the space between our coasts. It is the space between the decisions we make today and the world we leave behind tomorrow," said the representative of the Fund.
